Amanda Barise Stuns With "All I Could Do Was Cry" Performance | American Idol 2025

I didn't think I'd be sitting here right now. Do you get nervous before you perform? Always. I dry heave every morning. I started in the music industry like five or six years old, recording background vocals, and blossomed from there. I want to be the next American Idol because I want to show that underdogs can win. Being a full-time vocalist and musician is very hard. In the music industry, you're not always judged off of your voice and off of your talent. The world and environment around me constantly demanded change, to change my sound, to straighten my hair, to lose weight. And part of the reason why it took me so long to come on American Idol is the nose that I've received. I was going into that audition really with zero expectation. You have to keep rolling the ball up the hill, hoping it doesn't roll back down. Today, for you, I'm going to sing All I Could Do Was Cry by Etta James. Whoa. Come on. Church bells ringing I am singing Oh, Lord, have mercy. I heard them promise Till death do us part Each word was a pain In my heart Oh, all I could do was cry Mm-mm All I could do was cry I was losing the man that I loved And all I could do was cry Because I was losing my man The man I loved And I could do well You are not an underdog. I feel like one. No, you're not. Well, quit feeling that way. You need to feel like a queen. You need to feel like a diva. Yeah, you have the ability. Just walk out like you have the ability. Thank you. Thank you so much.